Which to use
“feinen” and “fetzen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,318
- “feinen” frequency rank
- #18,885
- “fetzen” frequency rank
- 26203
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | feinen | fetzen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Metall durch Entfernen von Verunreinigungen veredeln | sich sehr heftig streiten |
Where the eye mixes feinen and fetzen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. feinen (CVVCVC) and fetzen (CVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between feinen and fetzen
A purely visual mix-up. feinen ([ˈfaɪ̯nən]) and fetzen ([ˈfɛt͡sn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26203, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
feinen is recorded at frequency rank #7,318, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfaɪ̯nən]. fetzen is at rank #18,885, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfɛt͡sn̩].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 26203, this pair ranks #1,821,646 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of feinen vs fetzen
Shared letters: efn. Private to "feinen": i. Private to "fetzen": tz.
"feinen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "fetzen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "feinen" for "fetzen" ever safe?
Frequency check: "feinen" vs "fetzen" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "feinen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fetzen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,821,646 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "feinen" and "fetzen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Fete vs fetzen". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,821,646 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.